Fremont Area Medical Center

SUM 2013

Spirit of Women magazine is a national publication presented to women by hospitals and their physicians. The magazine provides up-to-date, evidence-based healthcare information and promotes our hospitals as leaders in women's health excellence.

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 4 of 31

H E A L T H
C E N T R A L
N E W S
New baby, new shoes
I
f you've given birth, science is now confirming what you've probably
suspected: Your feet grew.
Pregnancy may permanently change the size and shape of a woman's feet, suggests a recent study published in the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Following 49 women from the start of their
pregnancy to five months after delivery, researchers discovered that 60 to
70 percent of the women had longer and wider feet afterward than when
their pregnancies began. First pregnancies may account for most of these
alterations, the study suggests.
Women gain weight and experience increased looseness of the joints
while pregnant, which often causes the arch of the foot to flatten out. So
the next time someone says baby needs a new pair of shoes, remind them
that Mom may need some new footwear too. •
Kids in motion
Along with enjoying improved health,
physically active children may be better able to cope with stressful situations.
Keeping it real
SHUTTERSTOCK
Forget about always looking at the
sunny side of life as you age. When
you're older, having lower expectations
for your future may actually lengthen
That's the conclusion of a recent
study accepted for the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
When children who are sedentary
face such everyday pressures as
speaking in front of their class at
school, they may have surges of
cortisol, a hormone that is linked
to stress. Active children, however,
have little or no increase in cortisol
levels when they are stressed.
Researchers in Finland, who studied about 250 8-year-olds, suggest
that physical activity protects children from the effects of stress. •
your life, according to recent research
published online in the journal Psychology and Aging.
The German researchers, who examined 10 years of data from 40,000
adults who were between
ages 18 and 96, say that
you may end up taking
better care of your health
when you have more realistic expectations about
changes in physical limitations as you grow older.
But the researchers add
that being unrealistically
optimistic can help you
feel better when you're facing a terminal diagnosis. •
Meditation and
inflammatory conditions
Mindful meditation techniques, including
conscious breathing and body focus,
may provide benefits to people experiencing chronic inflammatory conditions,
which are linked to stress.
If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis,
inflammatory bowel disease or asthma,
you may be able to alleviate some of
your symptoms through mindful meditation, report researchers in the journal
Brain, Behavior and Immunity.
Studies at the University of Wisconsin
compared two methods of stress reduction: the meditation approach and a
general routine of health enhancement
that included nutrition education and
physical activity. While both strategies
reduced stress, the mindful strategy was
more effective at decreasing inflammation, according to researchers working
with volunteers. •
w w w. s p i r i t o f w o m e n . c o m
S U M M E R 2 013
SPI RIT O F WOM EN
5